


No Longer Homeworld

by TheDragonEmpress1



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, LGBTQ Character, Non-Graphic Violence, Original Characters - Freeform, Pre-Gem War, non-cannon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-11 06:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8959708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDragonEmpress1/pseuds/TheDragonEmpress1
Summary: Three gems, one who's lost everything to a place that no longer feels like home, one that realizes that she won't ever be accepted for being herself, and one that wishes that she had a different life entirely. All three gems have their stories, but will their stories end with victory and new hope, or end in failure and death?





	1. Fluorite Part 1

**Fluorite The Anarchist**

**Part 1**

* * *

"Hey she's not waking up."

"Check for anomalies."

"But she seems to have formed perfectly! The hole is fine."

"Wait- check out her teeth."

"Oh stars! Her upper front teeth are larger than the rest."

"I've seen it before. It's a mutation in the ingredients. Get her off the ground and into the nearest terminal."

* * *

A jolt of energy shocked me and woke me up. I gasped and scrambled to sit up. Standing before me was a Peridot holding a jolt baton. She smirked. "Good to see that you're awake now. Stand up." Following her order I stood up. That's when I noticed my hair. It was multi-colored with green, grey, and purple. And it was in my face. Quickly I pushed it back and got a better view of my environment. A green room with a dashboard of controls and several pieces of equipment hanging up on the walls. "You are Fluorite Cut 7W2 of Facet 3B. Follow me and I'll show you to your new manager." Without hesitation Peridot started walking out of the room and I walked along side her. "You know what you do right?" Peridot asked me. "I'm a Fluorite. We are guards for buildings and also soldiers if ever a war to happen." Peridot nodded her head, happy with my answer. "Do you know which Diamond you belong to?" She asked me. I opened my mouth to answer, but she beat me to the punch. She pointed to my uniform and poked my chest, and there it was. A Pink Diamond insignia. "Pink Diamond." The name made me smile. Pink Diamond sounded wonderful. Perfect and brilliant and amazing. "I wanna meet her." I whispered out loud. Peridot turned her head and she looked surprised. "Did you say something?" She asked. "No." I lied. She turned back around and I blushed. From what I know, the Diamonds are busy, they're important, they don't have time for a insignificant Fluorite. Stupid.

* * *

The Peridot I had followed led me to a room full of other Fluorites. In this room had a raised platform with a dashboard and screen with it. Standing on it was a Topaz and two quartz. An Onyx and a Jasper, both weeding out the rejects with their eyes. I got in a group and I saw all around me that there was more of a variety than I thought. Some Fluorites had a purple base with mint green hair, all equally long, while others were more blue with just grey hair. All of us looked as if we were confused or lost. Except for one. She was walking up to the platform and stood beside Topaz. She looked extremely different from any of us, her hair was pulled back into a minty green braid and her uniform wasn't just a standard V Neck with a diamond on it. She wore a cape that tied around her neck, her gem was in the middle of her chest and in the center of a Pink Diamond. Her blue eyes were cold and remorseless. She spoke, and her voice echoed through the room catching all of our attention. "Fellow Fluorites! I have called upon you all to assign you your manager. It will either be I or Topaz, and when we call on your serial number, step forward. I will answer questions about what will happen and how it will work before we assign you to your stations." I raised my hand first and Topaz pointed to me. "Yes?" The Fluorite asked. "Will we belong to a crew or does our manager send us off individually to different stations?" I asked her. "Both. We sometimes need a team of Fluorites, sometimes only one. Next!" Only five others raised their hands, but the answers were plain and simple as the question themselves. That's when I became curious. I raised my hand again, and I was picked again. "How did you climb up the ranks to become a manager?" I asked. The Fluorite stayed quiet, then turned to the Topaz. She nodded her head and she spoke. "She did her job right, and proved that she was worthy of the rank. Maybe one day you will become something greater than just a Fluorite, but it's very unlikely." Topaz answered. "No more questions! Time for assignments." Fluorite announced. "Cut 8H0 of Facet 6M!" Fluorite shouted. Beside me, a Fluorite that consisted of blue, grey, and purple walked forward. "Yes?" She said. "You are assigned to Topaz and will be shipped out to escort a Lapis Lazuli along with Cut 9E7, Cut 2T4, Cut 4V5 all of Facet 1C." All at once three more Fluorites stepped forward and grouped together. The Onyx above jumped down and escorted the group out of the room.

Little by little our numbers decreased, until it was only me. "Cut 7W2 of Facet 3B." Fluorite said. I took a step forward even though I was alone. "Yes?" I asked them. "You will be assigned to the newly installed Kindergarten of Facet 4. You are to stand guard and ward away any insects that try to burrow into the ground. You'll be trained on site, so get going. We don't have long." Her Jasper then escorted me quickly to the exit and shoved me into a ship. Then Fluorite and Jasper walked in. The door closed and we took off.

* * *

The ride to my new station seem like it took decades to reach. I was shoved headfirst into all of this without warning, with any briefing. I was stuck in between a Jasper and a Fluorite who both out ranked me, and no one said a word. I wanted to ask questions, but I knew that would get me in trouble. So instead I just bit my bottom lip. That's when Fluorite looked over at me. "You have a defect?" She asked me. I stopped and touched my top front teeth. They were big, and caused me to have an overbite. "I didn't notice. Is it bad?" I asked her. She smiled, revealing her overbite. "I have one as well." I smiled back, but then she returned back to her stern personality. "Don't get your hopes up. You were the Fluorite that asked how I came to be a manager of gems. This defect won't give you a leg up. I'll make you look defective. Unless you can summon your weapon." I straightened up. "My weapon? How do I get it?" Did they make me a weapon? Where was it? "No gem will give you a weapon, you have to be able to summon one. If you can't then you really just are a defective Fluorite." She told me. She then stood up and her gem had started glowing, and a stick of light appeared from it. She pulled it out and it spun out into a bow. She then aimed it at me and launched an arrow at me. I ducked, but it shot through me, right next to my gem on my torso. I started freaking out, trying to tug it out, but then I realized, it didn't hurt. "My arrows have three kinds. Spectral, arrows that can pierce through a gem's form, and disorient the gem. Lethal, they can kill. And Stun, to freeze my enemy to finish them off." Fluorite informed me. The Jasper beside me started laughing and pulled out my arrow, I yelped and covered the spot where the arrow was. "Each gem's weapon is unique to them depending of gem placement. If you can defend yourself with your own weapon, and you'll do fine." Warned me. I nodded my head and crossed my arms. This was going to be nerve wracking.


	2. Fluorite Part 2

**Fluorite The Anarchist**

**Part 2**

* * *

"Hey we got a runner over here!" "I got it!" Facet 4 was littered with more insects than we thought. They burrowed everywhere and when you get rid of three, it feels like a dozen more pop up. Seven rubies, three quartz, five fluorites, and several peridots had been sent in to assist me and the rest of the rubies. I cornered a beetle looking one and hacked it to pieces with my poleaxe. It's not the cleanest weapon, and it's no battle axe, but it's mine. "Rubies!" I shouted back into the cavern. "Come clean this up!" I ordered them. Quickly three rubies ran over to me and started gathering up the pieces. "Is there anymore that are popping up?" I asked them. "There's a pack over near the south side! We saw two fluorites run over to that side however." One of them reported to me. "Alright, I'll go over and check on them." I outranked the rubies, and it felt good to be in charge. However, my fellow fluorites were something different.

"Hey look! You can ride them!" As soon as I reached the pair, I already saw that they were messing around with the insects. One was riding one of the insects and the other was letting the rest crawl all over her. "What is this! You were sent here by our manager to eradicate these things! Not socialize with them!" I shouted at them. The one riding snickered. "But this is so much fun! Look you don't have to walk on your feet if you ride this beetle thing! And look! It does what I tell it to do! March!" The insect lunged forward and ran around me while she held on tight to its antennas. "These guys are pretty chill anyways. They're so calm they just wanna snuggle up with you. I think they are just anger that we're messing up their home." The other one told me. I groaned. "Look, we aren't here to socialize with these things. We are suppose to kill these things to get the injectors working without interruption and so that none of the injection points aren't burrowed through!" I reminded them. That's when a small one started crawling up my leg. I picked it up and glared at it. "These things are disgusting anyways. I mean look at them. Multiple eyes, several legs, a shell and they drool!" The insect stared back at me, and then made a cooing sound. It broke free of my grasp and jumped onto my shoulder, and it curled up around my neck. "Wha- what's in the world?" I touched the shell and it started to started to coo again. "How odd, it seems to like me." I told them. "We told you, these things are cool." They reminded me. I sighed. "Well they're still in the way, if we could catch them all and relocate that it'd be great, but this colony is almost completed. There's no place to put them." I grabbed the insect and put it back on the ground where it scuttled away to it's mother. "But these things are awesome! We can't just kill them just because they are in the way." The rider said to me. I sighed and pulled out my poleaxe. "But we have orders to do. We can't just not do them." The insects were okay, but what are we supposed to do. "We could not follow orders." I looked up to see the Fluorite on the ground had stood up. Her one eye stared into mine and she smiled. "I mean like, how bad would it be if we didn't kill them? It's just this one thing. Our manager won't notice." She said to me. "Disobey an order? But we'll get into trouble if we do that! Fluorite will strike us where we stand if we don't do what we're told!" I shouted at her. The other Fluorite stood up with her and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "We won't get in trouble with the manager if we don't get caught. Plus she's not here." She said. I crossed my arms and sighed. "I guess." I told them. The other two rejoiced and started playing with the insects again, but I just stood still. I had a bad feeling.

* * *

"Have all of you been slacking off?!" My bad feeling was correct. It wasn't even a day after I stopped killing the bugs with the other two Fluorites, and our manager came back for a check up. She had her bow out already loaded with an arrow, and each of us, from quartz to rubies, to us lined up in a row, ready to be picked off.

"Tell me! It's been two weeks and it still seems like none of you have even put a dent in the population! I've had defective rubies that couldn't even fuse do a better job than you all!" She shouted at us. "First gem to give me a reason, get's there form destroyed the quickest!" _'This is bad. This is bad. This is very very bad.'_ I panicked in my head. She stood in front of me, arrow drawn, and asked me a question. "What's been going on around here?" She asked me. "W-Well from what I can guess, and from what I know, it seems like it's a hive living here. W-With a queen and drones." I stuttered. She sighed. "I knew that. This planet is infested with them. I was hoping us gems could get rid of them." She stepped back and looked up and down the row, and then back at me. "You all failed. Now we have to use actual eradication devices for these things! Do you know how costly those things are!" I could see that she was both filled with angry and disappointed, and for us, shame. All except for two. Both of the Fluorites from yesterday stepped forward. "Do these things really need to be killed?" The one with one eye asked. The manager turned to her and glared. "Because. They are in the way! This colony is way past it's finish date! It's not making new gems with all of these monstrosities crawling around! Destroying the soil! Attacking us!" She screamed at her. "But when you let them, these things aren't dangerous! Can't we . . . co-exist?" The other one spoke, and the manager's eye started to twitch. "What? We can't co-exist! This planet is for Blue Diamond and her gems! Are you two committing treason?!" "No! We aren't! We are just suggesting that we can leave these things alone." They argued back. "I'll suggest you something!" The manager shouted before shooting an arrow at them. Then another, and another and another. They were spectral arrows, so the only thing they did, was paralyze the gems and fall to the ground. The manager walked over them, and shot another arrow into each of their forms. This time, it got them. She picked up both gems and turned back to us.

"Whoever agrees with them, step forward." She spoke. I shuffled my feet, and she must've noticed. Without hesitating she crushed the gems in her hands, cracking them, then shattering them. "Anyone?" She asked again. This time, no one moved. "Go to the terminal while I get the devices. At ease." She dismissed us. I let out a sigh and looked at the gem shards on the ground. _'Disobeying caused this? We just didn't kill a few insects and they died.'_ "Cut 7W2 Facet 3B! Why are you still standing here!" I looked up and saw the manager glaring at me. "I'm sorry! I'll get going!" I blurted out. She walked up to me, grabbed my arm and put pulled me closer to her face. Her eyes were filled with anger. "Those Fluorites I shattered, they were formed way before you. They lacked what a true gem has. Discipline." She grabbed my other arm with a death grip. "Every Fluorite I've seen as ended up the same. They lack something important. Discipline, loyalty, and devotion. Instead every time I get lazy, treason thinking Fluorites!" She shouted at me. "You failed today. Don't do it again." Letting me go, she walked away, letting me fall backwards.

In the terminal, everyone else were minding their business. They stood and talked, and some of the rubies were rough housing as well, but I stayed in a corner, knees clutched to my chest. "No wonder there was so many of us." I was putting two and two together, and I was whispering to myself. No one bothered to ask if I was okay. "So many Fluorites, just so we all can get purged later after we're useless. Lazy and rebellious." I whispered. "That's not me. I'm not lazy yet. I didn't do what I was ordered only with the two fluorites, nothing big . . . only I lived." It scared me how close I was to being shattered, how I ignored an order and got lazy, how I would've just ended up being a pathetic Fluorite. Not as common as a Ruby, but less than a quartz.

The worse was yet to come, because it wasn't long before you could hear the screeches of the insects and the devices going off. I tried my best to shut them out, but this was going to happen at some point. If or without me doing what I was suppose to do. It's just in a massive killing, not one by one.

* * *

I leaned on my poleaxe, my eyes tired and my strength not at it's finest. I felt numb, and awful. As soon as the screeches and death of the insects was done, only I and the few rubies that were stationed here originally were ordered to stay. The manager is still around, her and her quartz guard. But that wasn't a good thing. She ordered us to clean up the scraps and kill the lone insects that survived. And it was disgusting, I still smell like the insides of the insects, and it's been a week. Ever since then, the Peridots were working overtime, and so us guards. Lifting up injectors knocked over by the insects and to do the dirty work. I was picked on the most.

Tired and bored, I yawned and closed my eyes. The kindergarten, despite the noises and drilling and shouting, was boring and dull.  
"Fluorite!" I jumped up and stood at attention. I flinched to see the manager glaring at me. "Were you slacking off?" She asked. "No! I was just thinking about how that . . ." I looked around and saw an injector high above the cavern, trying to drill into the wall. "That the injector up there has a dull drill! It's been trying to dig into the ground for a while now without a scratch on the wall!" "You think so?" She asked me. "Yes!" _'It's a poor excuse.'_ I thought. She stood back and shouted "Technician!". A Peridot rushed over, a worried look on her face. "Yes?" The manager snapped her fingers and pointed up the the injector. "This one says that drill is dull. Check it out." The Peridot took off with a sprint and walked up the side of the wall. I watched as the Peridot checked the machine and spot, and I watched the manager's face light up with a smirk. "You sure you weren't slacking off?" She asked me again. "8Y2! Bring this drill down!" The peridot shouted down from above. Quickly, the injector was taken down and the drill was taken off. "Looks like the drill wasn't only dull, but it was cracked and several pieces had broken off. Takes a gem with a good eye to see that from up there." The Peridot reported back to the manager. She left and I smirked. But a cold icy stare made me regret it. "Lucky guess. Don't expect to be so lucky next time." The manager warned me before leaving. I looked up at the spot where the injector was. Before I didn't even notice, but there were shards of the drill stuck in the rock. "I thought those were apart of the rock." I said out loud.

It was another week later, and with that week, I had spotted nine more defects in injectors. It was becoming like a game to me. Stand at attention and when the manager is nearby I spot out defects. Turns out I'm a good eye, better than the manager. But it turns out, she doesn't like it. Always reminding me that it was just luck.  
"And then I said 'Oh! Looks like I've spotted another mistake that was missed by the manager!' and the face she made was priceless!" I boasted about my new found skill to a Ruby guard. We both had a laugh when we joke about the manager, and this time she was howling with laughter. "Oh if I only could!" She told me. Smiling with pride I let out a chuckle. "So have you found any broken injectors today?" She asked me. I sighed and swung my poleaxe. "Nothing now, but it seems like this kindergarten was given poor injectors. Either that or those insects did some damage, or the devices . . ." I trailed off remembering that day, then Ruby started talking again. "Well I over heard one of the technicians talking to another about that. They knew that if the Manager had used the bombs or whatever they were that it would break the injectors exposed to it." Ruby told me. "Ha! So it's her fault for all of these injectors being broken! And I thought she was really good at her job!" I laughed. Having heard that from a Ruby, it didn't really matter if it was actually true or not, but thinking that the manager had messed up was laughable. "I know right!" She started laughing with me. We must've been loud enough that it caught the attention of a nearby Peridot. "What are you two laughing about?" She asked us. "Oh nothing, just about how the manager did something wrong and-" "Oh _her._ We all told her that if she used the devices without moving out the injectors that it would cause damage. Not only did she ignore us, the panicking insects started trying to burrow into anything to get away from the blasts. So they chipped at the injectors and ruined them! We didn't even get time to check before we were ordered to set them up! Now this is taking even longer to do!" The Peridot complained. We both let out a few chuckles, but the Peridot kept talking. "And then since you keep finding the things we've missed that Fluorite is making our job even harder! As if we don't know that we are already behind schedule for this kindergarten! All of this is her fault!" She began to get angry, and shouted out the last sentence.

" _Who's fault?_ "

All three of us froze and turned to see the manager walking our way. Sweat beaded my face when I saw her face. Rage. _'She was listening.'_ I thought. I clutched my pole axe tighter as she stopped in front of us. "So, who's the one that said it's my fault?" She hissed. The Peridot raised her hand hesitantly. "It was I. But I take it back!" She begged. "You can apologize when you reform." She said. In a swift motion, the manager summoned her bow and before she could run, she shot down the peridot. It was her lethal arrow. "Now," She said while picking up the gem and forming a bubble around it. "if you two don't get back to work I'll personally shatter you!" We didn't need to hear anything else. Ruby ran off and I stood straight and tall. But she didn't leave. She glared at me with her narrow eyes, and smirked. "Seen anymore broken injectors today?" She asked. I shook my head. Her smirk widened. "Good. Keep it that way." She told me. "W-Why?" "Didn't you hear the Peridot? We're behind schedule as is. We can work with what we have, so don't find anything." She ordered. "Don't find anything." I told myself. For the rest of the day I kept my eyes to the ground.

* * *

Shouting, screaming, running, and crashes were heard at the other side of the cavern. It shocked me and in a panic I ran to the source. What I saw was a disaster. A rogue injector was running, but it was horribly broken and damaged. It was sprawling around, leaking the ingredients to make gems, and the drill was active and causing holes and gashes on the ground. Then I saw the worse part. Gems around it were running and trying to destroy the machine. Gemstones laid on the ground, cracked, shattered, or just there. The manager was there as well, shooting arrow after arrow to down the rampaging machine. I stood in shock. and started shouting angrily without realizing it. "It's your fault! Your fault! You shouldn't be this arrogant!" That's when I saw the injector charge at the manager. It's leg stabbed through her form. Her gem fell to the ground, left alone by the injector. This made the injector pause and spasm out. I saw it. A panel was opened, the wires chewed up and melted. It was near the top, and no gem was bothering to even try and mount the machine. "Found something." I whispered as a smile crept at the corner of my mouth. I looked around quickly at what I had around me. Another destroyed injector with wires hanging out, my poleaxe still in my hands, and me. My mind pieced together a plan and how it could work. I smiled as I ran to grab the long wires, tying them around the handle of my weapon and then around myself. I ran toward the rampaging injector and got into position. "Here goes nothing!" I said before chucking the weapon at the injector. The blade lodged itself into the surface, it was hooked, and it took me with it. Throwing me back and forth and around. I felt sick, but I grabbed the wires and started pulling myself to it. My feet on the machine, I reached the panel and then a new problem came. 'How do I fix this?' I asked myself. I started pulling the wires apart and it revealed a circuit underneath. It was overheating. "Ah ha!" I grabbed the circuit and threw it out.

Instantly the machine stopped, and I fell.

When I opened my eyes next, the gems that remained were staring at me. They were in awe and relief. I stood up and stared up at the injector. "A Fluorite deactivated an injector? That's impossible." I heard someone say. I smirked. "Who's responsible for this!?" I heard someone shout. I turned around and saw a Topaz walking the center of the attention. She was the same Topaz from the day I was assigned. That's when the manager reformed. She gasped and stood up. She saw that the injector was offline, me standing before it, and the upcoming Topaz. She ran and stood next to me at attention. "Topaz." She said with respect. She crossed her hands and formed the salute. Feeling out of place I did it too. "Fluorite, what happened here?" She asked her. "The insects had taken longer to clear out than we thought. My Fluorites who were in charge didn't do their job right so I was forced to use the devices and-"

What happened next baffled me. Topaz slapped the manager across the face, interrupting her and knocking her backwards. "You thought that was a good idea!" She shouted at her. "Yes! It was the only way we would keep on schedule Topaz!" Fluorite shouted back at her. "Well the kindergarten at facet 6 has been up and running since it was started. They cleared out the insects living there in no time! They just used something called effort!" I was staring at both of them, and so was every other gem around us. "I thought you could do a decent job at this, but seems like you and your recklessness took the easy route and ruined each injector with it!" Topaz shouted, then looked up at the injector behind us. "Who's the one that activated this one!" She asked. Every gem pointed to me, and I was finally noticed by my two superiors. "You?" They both asked. The manager glared at me while Topaz had a genuine smile. "Well that's new! Fluorites aren't suppose to be anything but a sentry or a guard. How'd you do it?" She asked. "I saw the injector going crazy, then stab through her," I pointed to the manager, glaring at me intensely. "and then I saw a loose panel with wires hanging out and sparking. I used some wires and climbed to pull out a broken circuit!" I continued. Topaz almost let out a loud chuckle, but it came out hushed and forced. "I'll be sure to report about both you Fluorites. The one that failed, and the one that actually did something!" It must've hurt the manager when she was compared to me. Her glare softened to a wince of pain or regret. Topaz left the kindergarten a little while after that, she helped set up five new injectors and left us to the repairs. For the rest of the time I was there, I was asked dozens of questions by the other gems, but all the while, the manager avoided me. It felt nice to be left alone, but it also felt a sense of uneasiness.


	3. Fluorite Part 3

**Fluorite The Anarchist**

**Part 3**

* * *

Seeing a gem first form is very strange to me. I was like them. I didn't exist, then all of a sudden I was forced through the ground into this form and into this existence. From the start I felt like I was suppose to do something, and now my place is a guard at a kindergarten. But it's a rough start. The insects, the gems shattered, the disaster, and then Topaz. Ever since then, the manager hasn't said a word to me. She hasn't bothered me or talked down to me.

Now that the kindergarten is finally running, I've observed something new. Gems forming into something. This kindergarten isn't that great from what I've heard from the peridots. Nothing but rubies, a single quartz soldier, and only a handful of new peridots. With whatever those insects had left in the ground, it wasn't forming anything great. That's what others say, but from what I've seen, it's very interesting to me. We form from a gem, but the rest of us is light in shape and form and with mass. We can come out strong or weak, noble or inferior. Even though I'm suppose to stay away from the exit holes of the kindergarten, I tend to look in them. Or climb inside. Some are glassy, others rocky or just carved out earth. I had an eye for it. And I guess I was recognized for it the day when Topaz came back.

* * *

I was inside another hole, this one high up the cavern, and I was just enjoy the silence. I hummed and hugged my knees, a habit I noticed I had. "7W2 F3B!" Silence broken. I pulled myself out of the hole in the wall and jumped down to the ground. I looked to see who had called me, and that's when I saw the manager. She looked the same, but her intimidating atmosphere wasn't that strong as last time. "You, follow me to the terminal." She ordered. Without another word I did what she asked. Next to the terminal I could see a warp pad being installed, and there stood Topaz. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't seem like she was angry. "Ah! There you two are! 7W2, do you know why I summoned for you?" Topaz greeted me with. "I don't know why. Is it because of the incident?" I asked quietly, fearing it would anger the manager. "Actually yes. I'm taking you and your manager to a test. Pass it, and you might just earned yourself a new title." She told me. I smiled, but then the other one spoke. "Don't get your hopes up. This test was made by the elites to see if a gem was actually worthy of the job. If you fail, you'll just come right back here again." She said menacingly. "Fluorites!" Topaz called both of us back to attention and gestured toward the now new warp pad. "We'll take a warp there. Ever done it before?" Topaz asked me. "No. Never seen one until now." I answered honestly. My entire existence I've only been in my own kindergarten and this one. And a ship. Standing on it, it didn't feel any different than the ground, until it warped us. Floating in mid air is nice, but I had floated higher than the others and when we reached the destination, I slammed back to the ground. "Ow!" I groaned while getting back on my feet. "This way." Topaz said. I followed, but I lagged behind on purpose to see the scenery. Buildings and spires rose to the violet sky and clouds. The gems that were around we some I haven't seen before. Sapphires, Carnelians, Jades, and a few Pearls even. "What is this place?" I asked. "This is one of the most active sites of this colony. We call it The Hive Center, after all this use to be the queen hive's lair. She was massive in size. Now it's conquered by us." Flying high above a Lapis Lazuli flew overheard, and then I saw the best of all the structures. It was a grand spire, but in a pyramid shape than a spear with different levels, each with a balcony looking over the other buildings. It looked so polished and white that it seemed to glow. "Wow." I said. "Hmph." The manager snickered. "I've seen better. Where's the bismuth that made that? Oh right, she was demoted." She commented. "Hush, we're here." Topaz said as we arrived at the door way. She pressed her hand against the smooth surface and the door split open. "Come." She beckoned. I looked up at the manager, but I couldn't figure out what she was feeling. She seemed, stressed or worried.

I can see why. The interior had many gems, elites and generals, watching us and chatting. It was quiet, but you could feel the intimidation. These gems were higher than the manager, than Topaz, than me. Not only were the gems intimidating, but the way the interior was designed. Polished marble pillars and statues, fountains and murals, skylights pouring in green misty light, making everything glow more brilliantly. I wanted to ask questions about what was the purpose of us being here when Topaz spoke again. "We're here." I looked up and saw another door entrance, this one guarded by a single ruby with her gem on her left cheek. "Identify yourself!" She said. "I am Topaz, the one that was ordered to bring back that one Fluorite." Topaz told Ruby. "Oh my apologizes Topaz. Go ahead. She's waiting." The ruby stepped aside, then opened up the door and let us walk through. The door closed behind us, and I heard a voice. A Peridot. This one was tall, her gem on her shoulder, and was wearing a different uniform. It had broad shoulders, her hair was formed to be more of a diamond than a triangle. "Ah, Topaz. You've returned." She said. "I've brought the one I told you about in the reports. The one with the good eye." Topaz responded to her. They started chatting about something, but I wasn't listening to the rest. I had become distracted with another thing. The manager's behavior. She had her arms crossed and she was tapping her foot repeatedly. Her eyes darted around and she stared at the floor occasionally. My observation earlier was true, she was worried, about something I didn't know. "Fluorite." They called for my attention and I stood straight. "Yes?" I asked. The Peridot walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Not too long ago I was given a report telling me about a Fluorite who had spotted many defects in injectors and deactivate a rogue injector all on her own. A good eye. I am the overseer of most of the technicians over eight colonies, the third highest ranking peridot, and supervisor. Do you know what I do?" "No." I answered. "I make sure that if we accept new gems into a new role, that they pass a test. Today is your turn." 'A test?' I thought. She guided me forward and I saw the rest of the chamber. A thousand pieces and tools were laying about. It was familiar. "I want you to build me an injector. Or something that works. This is the first part of the test." Peridot told me. She pushed me forward and when I turned, everyone was gone. I was left alone, in a room filled with parts I had no clue how to put together. I was expected to bring them something working. "How am I suppose to do this!" I finally started to panic. "I can't do this! The other times were pure luck!" I admitted, but with no one here to listen, it was useless. "What do I do?!" I collapsed in front of the parts, and closed my eyes. "I can't do this . . ."

"See, what did I tell you. She's nothing but a reject with buck teeth."

"Aren't you the same? You have the same anomaly in you gemology."

"But I am actually worth something, useful, she's just as lazy as the rest."

"Who's testing her? Me or you?"

I looked up to the direction I was hearing the voices, a panel of the wall that was slightly discolored from the rest. 'They're in there? They can see me?' I thought. 'Have I always been seen as a reject? Imperfect? The Manager's just the same as me. No, maybe . . .' I thought. A grin came to my face, and a small chuckle slipped out. Standing up, I could feel an idea rushing through my mind. My memory of an injector, the scattered parts, they clicked. "I may be seen as a reject, but I'll outrank you." I told them. "You hear me! I'll beat you at what you can't do! I'll be useful, I'll be the best there ever was! The Fluorite that could!" I shouted with pride. That's when I ran. Grabbing parts, a welder, wires, connectors, conduits, all of it. With speed I didn't know I had, I constructed an injector from memory. A better polish, efficient drills and stability. I was done before I knew it, and I had moved on with whatever scrap parts I had. I started just creating things out of thin air. An autonomous little insect, a small stun canon, and I had moved on to start work on a bomb when I heard the door open up. Out walked the Peridot, Topaz, and the manager. Two of them seemed impressed, the other in a silent rage. "Well don't Fluorite! Now I'm just gonna review the little trinkets and injector you created. Please stand outside with Topaz and Fluorite." She instructed me. I was smiling like a giddy child, and pranced out the door. My mood felt so uplifting, a new kind of high I've never experienced, that not even the manager's next words couldn't tarnish it. "So you think you're real funny soldier." She said as soon as she walked out. I didn't even answer her. I stood still, bouncing on my feet with a smile. "Leave her be. If she passes the test she'll be sent to a facility, so you probably won't ever see her." Topaz told the manager. "A new workspace? You mean no more gloomy kindergartens for me to guard?" I asked. Topaz smiled awkwardly. "Well you don't have to guard them anymore, but you could be operating and helping set up ones or repairing and engineering with the other techs." She explained. I nodded my head and smiled. "And you might, might, climb up the ladder a little." She added on.

One hour later, we were ordered back inside. The Peridot seemed happy. "Well Fluorite, I've evaluated your handy work, and I'm amazed that a simple Fluorite like you could create such a masterpiece of a machine! It's exactly the same as the current version of injectors, but I noticed the lack of crystal you've used. Risky move, but it gave much more room to run more fluids through for the gems. Also that robonoid is cute and all, but it could be a good drone. The canon surprised me, and also the half made bomb from wires and scrap metal, but congratulations Fluorite." She told me. She saluted me and smiled. "You've been moved up the ranks to be a certified medium technician and kindergartener. You'll be taken to a new facility to properly work in for time being." I let out a small giggle and saluted back. "You will not regret this decision!" I told her. "She better." I heard the manager say.

* * *

It's been some time now since I left the kindergarten and was tested. I now work along side the other peridots to fix whatever is broken and also create new ones and new things.

"Hey, there goes the Fluorite."

"Why did they put her here? She probably can't do anything right."

Not everyone has seen my talent for this. Some make fun of me for it, some try to get me into trouble. It's annoying.

"Alright! Attention! Attention!" I heard the usual call for technicians and I drop my tools off at my station and walked to where terminal was. A screen was opened and on it was a patently waiting Peridot. An elite one. I was shoved and pushed back by the peridots, but I didn't mind. "Alright is everyone here?" The elite asked. "Okay good. Now I've recently been given a large request from Pink Diamond." She announced. Immediately everyone in the room started muttering with excitement. I was smiling with them. 'A request straight from our Diamond! Oh what an honor!' I thought. Before we could all go into a wild frenzy over the news, the elite called us back to attention. "Scouting ships are needed to check out a potential colony for her. We need about eight, each able to hole a crew of eight, and with room for four more. Divide up into groups and get on it. Peridot out." She finished reporting and the screen turned off. Quickly the peridots when to scramble together teams. I tried to join them, but they all refused to help me, all except two other peridots who were kicked out.

"So we each have the blueprints to create the ship, let's divide the work into three." One of them said. "I'll build the hull and the structure supports." I asked for. "No I got that, you do the welding and configure the power through the ship. The electronics and whatever is left goes to you." She pointed at the other peridot. "Alright, let's get started." She said. "Hey wait! I can do more than just weld and make power circuits!" I argued. The peridots shrugged it off and left to go gather up the things, leaving me unanswered. "Fine, if they don't see what I can do, I'll do it on my own." I whispered before taking off.

I grabbed a spare blueprint and started building the hull and structures. Bending and welding the parts together. I had a simple plan in my head, something I could complete in no time without cutting corners. Then they came back.

"What are you doing!" I was scaling the structure when I heard shouting down below. It was my two teammates, who didn't believe in my abilities. "Well since you two didn't see my potential, I took matters into my own hand! I can do this on my own without your help!" I shouted to them, catching more attention than I wanted. "Fine, get yourself discharged back to the ditches! Ha!" They left me alone, while others around me whispered. Ignoring them the best I could, I went to work, piecing together the hull, connecting wires and cables.

I picked out the materials myself, brought them over myself by hand, and assembled the entire things together. We could take breaks, like many others did to get her their thoughts, but I kept going. I can't fail, I know this, and I can't fall behind either.

"Hey clod! How's the solo-project going?" A nearby Peridot asked me. I jumped out of the pilot seat and glared down at her. "Wonderfully! It appears that I'm farther ahead than your project, and mine actually works already. Just making sure everything is alright. How about you and your crew? I can still smell the scent of burning wires and bonding agents!" I mocked the peridot below. With a glare she left and continued to work. I was having fun to be honest. Proving all of the others that they were wrong about me. Did it back in the kindergarten and I still do it here.

"All crews back away from your ships! Time for inspection tests! Back away from the ships I repeat! Back away!" An announcement played on the intercom. Smirking with confidence I jumped out of the scouting ship and stood aside to admire my work. "It's perfect." I told myself with confidence. The supervisor came around and looked at me. "Where are the others?" She asked me. "I am a crew of one member. Fluorite of Cut 7W2 and Facet 3B." I saluted to her. She scoffed and looked at the scouting ship. "You made it yourself? Impressive, from here it looks perfect. I'll run the tests and see if you deserve to keep working or be demoted." She said. A nervous chill ran through me. "Demoted? Well I assure you this is the best of the ships made here!" I told her, hiding my worry. She hummed and entered the ship. I stood outside, still as a board. When she finally came out, she had a smile of approval. "The rumors I heard prove true. A Fluorite in the technician field actually having great talent for it. This project gets a grade of A, approved, and recommended to be used. You can return to the terminal to receive your next assignment." She reported to me. I let her leave to the next ship before letting my smile through. I felt pride glowing within me, I proved myself that I can handle this. It faltered, wavered more like, when I reached the terminal and I saw her. Fluorite, the manager, leaning against the wall and glared at me. "Well, if it isn't the only other useful Fluorite." She greeted me. I approached her, feeling bold. "Useful is an understatement I think. I just got a grade of A for the escort ship I constructed all on my own. It's perfect and ready to be used. Better than these Peridots." She raised her brow at me, and scoffed. "You think that makes you better than me runt?" She asked me. I shrank. "N-No! I was just boasting about my skills." I told her. She stood up straight and poked at my insignia. "You're worthless in my eyes. I have climbed the ranks the hard way. It takes centuries to get where I am!" She shouted at me. I flinched. "I put work into my survival while you just swooped in and rivaled me." I threw my hands up in front of me, trying to back away from her. "Rival? You think I'm after your rank?" I asked. She didn't answer, but only shouted more things at me. "You know what happens to gems who think they are better than the elites?" She asked me, her voice low. "What?" I asked. I regret asking. A mistake, a memory I won't forget anytime soon. She lifted me off of the ground by my neck and threw me to the ground. I had my eyes closed, but when I opened them, I couldn't move. I looked down and saw three arrows in my torso. I gasped and I looked up. The manager had her bow and arrow aimed at my head. "They are shattered." She said. I flinched, and everything disappeared.

* * *

I couldn't see anything, or feel anything. I could sense something. I wasn't sure what, but it was quick. It felt like something being welded together, or something mending. I had time to think, time to just be still. "Rivaled? Am I a threat to her?" I asked. "Am I scaring her? Does she fear to see me improve, to become an elite?" I asked. "I don't want to become an elite like that Topaz. I don't really want to have a rival." I admitted. "I just want to be something useful. Better than the other Fluorites." I stayed quiet, and then it hit me. "I'll be better. I will be better than all of the Fluorites." All of a sudden, I felt something change, something morph. "I'll be better." I told myself one last time, before everything went blank.

* * *

I gasped as my vision returned. I could feel again and move. I was on the ground, crawling and stumbling about. I stood up and looked around. A Peridot was beside me, staring at me in confusion. "What happened? You reformed!" She said, pulling up a sheet of metal with a reflection. I looked in it, my eyes widened in shock. My once long hair, was now shorter. My uniform was the same, all except it had sleeves, short, but there. I had shorts on, and my shoe had changed too. They were flat, but looked ready to fight. I touched my hair, and giggled. "Reformed is the right word. But I would've said recreated. Something . . . new." I told her. She gave me a look of concern. "I'll be better than them. Than her. She wants a rival, I'll give her one." I giggled, staying at my reflection with pride.


	4. Fluorite Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this story on Fanfiction.net as well if you prefer that format than this one. Enjoy

** Fluorite The Anarchist **

** Part 4 **

* * *

_Structure. Wires. Panels. Drill. Fluid. Repeat._

I repeated the order in my head as I constructed injectors. I had a quota to fill, and I was doing it double time. I was done before any of the Peridots, beating my record time by half. I stood back as the quartz and rubies took away the brand new injectors and started loading them onto the supply ships. I sighed happily, brushing back my short hair and smiling. "At this rate I might as well be promoted up to supervisor for this." I told myself, chuckling at my comment afterward. Grinning as I walked back to find a new assignment, my eye caught sight of a familiar gem. It was Topaz. It had been years since I last saw her after my new promotion. I actually felt happy to see her, but then there was a gem standing beside her that I've never seen. Her clothes matched Topaz's exactly in color, but a transparent veil was wrapped around her from her shoulders to her legs, underneath she wore a leotard, with her gem in the center of her chest. Her hair was swept to the side, only one eye visible. Her nose was so pointy. I turned my head away, knowing it wasn't my place to start a conversation with them right now, but I heard my serial number being called in that direction. I turned and saw Topaz beckoning me over. I took long strides to reach her, and she greeted me with a pat on the back and a warm smile. "Just the gem I was looking for! How's the new gem underling?" She asked me. I beamed a confident smile. "It's going very well I suppose. I have a new look as well." I told her. She chuckled and flipped my bangs out from behind my ear. "I can tell." She said. I turned to the gem beside her and she noticed my curiosity. "Never seen a Pearl before?" She asked me. She wrapped an arm around the pearl and smiled. "Got one for my outstanding work. Look how pretty she is!" She commented. I stared at the pearl, her eyes- her eye was focused away from mine, at the ground, her hands were clasped behind her back. She wasn't smiling. "Is-Is she happy?" I asked Topaz, concern materializing in within me. She gave me a confused look, bot her and the pearl. "Of course she's happy! Why wouldn't she be when serving her owner! Now enough with the small talk. I have an order to fulfill. I'm taking you up to a very important meeting." She told me, changing the subject rather quickly. "A meeting? But the terminal never announced a meeting." I told her. She chuckled at what I said and started shoving me forward, toward the landing docks. "A private meeting between you, your manager, and our Diamond." She informed me as we approached a ship. I froze up when the words hit me. "P-Pink Diamond?" I muttered.

* * *

The trip was agonisingly long, and I was restless. I didn't speak, and the silence between Topaz, Pearl, and I was dense. "What's taking that Nephrite so long? If I were steering we would've been there by now." Topaz complained. She stood up and walked out of the passenger room into the pilot room. I was left alone with the Pearl. Her eyes were on the ground, as still as the rock she came from. I stared at her. I saw her hands shake, and then she turned to me. I flinched when she started speaking. "Why did you ask if I was happy?" She asked me, her voice soft, and quiet. I shrugged my shoulders. "You weren't smiling. Usually I see gems who are doing there jobs smiling with enjoyment. You looked like you're forced to do this." I told her why. She was glaring at me now. "You don't know anything about Pearls do you?" She asked me. "We are made to serve and to be pretty and obedient. Our job isn't to be happy. It's to keep quiet and do as we are told." She told me. I didn't reply, and silence was upon us again. 'Keep quiet?' I thought. "You don't have to be quiet. You can be like me." I told her. She looked at me with surprise. "You don't know anything about Fluorites? Do you?" I asked her. "We are sentries, guards and soldiers, almost as common as a Ruby." I explained to her. "I am the only one out of two Fluorites to either be a manager or a technician. I can make over thirty injectors in half the time it takes for a Peridot could. I'm not standing around and being quiet. I'm doing something that makes me happy. Proving the elites they are wrong. Rising up and taking them by surprise. Being better than what I was." I told her. Her eye lit up, and she smiled slightly. "You are brave. Be careful if I were you." She told me. "It's gotten me this far. I'm meeting Pink Diamond herself. For what I don't-" "Earth." She blurted out. I sat back. "What's an earth?" I asked her. She smiled at me. "From what I overheard, they need gems to go to her first colony." She told me. I gasped. "A new planet? Wait but why me?" I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders. "Finally!" A shout rang outside of the room. The pearl returned back to her dead gaze at the ground and I turned to face the wall. Topaz opened the door and beckoned us out. "We're here." She said happily.

* * *

There I stood, in the blinding light of a giant dome room. There Pink Diamond stood, her appearance as beautiful as I imagined. Perfect, and very pink. Around her stood her council, beside me, there was the manager, not even daring to look anywhere but the ground. She didn't even bother to glare at me, but she stayed calm next to me as if she didn't hate me. I wouldn't messed with her, if it weren't for the constant muttering of the council. Topaz approached Pink Diamond and saluted. "My Diamond, I have brought before you the Fluorite. The one I told you about." She said. The muttering intensified, and then Pink Diamond raised her hand to silence them. She spoke. "Thank you Topaz." That was all she said, and she turned her attention to me. "Fluorite. From what I have seen, you seem to be good at your job. Which is unusual for a Fluorite to be working with Peridots constructing things," She said to me. "The Diamonds and I have discovered a new planet perfect for my first colony. I've been advised to pick gems to colonize this new world." She told us. "I've chosen you, your manager, and Topaz to help with the kindergartens, along with a dozen or so Peridots and others." "Me?" I asked. The council around her muttered at my outburst. I froze up, but Pink Diamond hushed them. "Why not you? I of course would want the only two Fluorites in my alignment that have proven to be more useful than expected. One to help monitor part of the first kindergarten, and one to help create and construct injectors and other things. It sounds reasonable to me-" She paused suddenly, her gaze flickering to the manager. I turned and saw her glaring at me, standing straight. "My Diamond, all due respect in your excellent decision making skills, but if I may, why choose to bring along this reject along with me?" She asked, keeping eye contact with me. "Do you even know how much work it takes to create a brand new colony? Let alone how long it takes." She asked the manager. Topaz reached over to me and pulled me back, leaving the manager to stand by herself. I stared at the sight before me, for the first time, I saw fear in her eyes as Pink Diamond towered before her. "Maybe you are the reject." She said, right before she grabbed the manager with her hand. I gasped out of shock as I watch the manager panic and squirm. "Be glad I need gems like you, or else you'd be shards." One, almost silent yelp came from the manager before her form was destroyed. Pink Diamond turned toward us. She held out her hand and gave Topaz the gem. "Topaz, take these gems to the ships." She said, without a hint of remorse.

I stared into the distance, trying to comprehend what I had seen. I had met Pink Diamond. She nearly shattered my manager and has personally requested me to go to a new planet. I was smiling still, even after boarding the colony ships. There were already so many gems on board and around me. They were all calm and serious, and I just smiled. Topaz was with me, she was selected by Pink Diamond too, and see could tell that I was enjoying myself. "First time meeting her?" She asked me. My head nod answered her question. "You get to see her, but to get to talk to her is the greatest. To be selected to colonize her first colony is a great honor. Don't you think?" She asked. "Of course!" I bounced in seat, feeling great with myself. Topaz chuckled and stood up. "Pearl stay here, I'm going to check how many more gems are needed before the ship can take off. Fluorite, here." Topaz tossed me my manager's gem. "Bubble it. I don't want her out and about just yet." She told me. I tossed the gem up into the air and it went into a mint colored bubble. I jumped when it landed in my lap. With that she left. I smirked at the bubble and shook it. "Now who's the underling now?" I mumbled. Pearl laughed, she overheard what I had said. "See what we can do if we try to do more than what is expected? Proving the elites, proving my manager that I am actually better than what the expectation is! You can too." I told her. She smiled at me, but then she pointed to across the passenger room. I turned and saw a gem across the room, a quartz soldier was sitting beside another Pearl, both matching in color and gem placement. Her hair was back and braided into two small braids, her expression distant and somber looking. "We can't really do much to improve. We aren't made to fight like a quartz or a Fluorite or Ruby. We aren't future seeing or knowledgable like a Sapphire or a Lapis. We aren't handy like a Peridot. How would I improve?" She asked me, her eyes sad but still smiling. "Try something. Something not so dramatic, but simply . . . impressive." I advised her. We didn't talk anymore, since the ship started up and took off. "Here we go." I whispered.

* * *

The trip was long, and what made it feel that way was the constant angry stares from the manager. She was furious at me, and I almost wish I hadn't ever met Pink Diamond. But, it's worth getting pushed around a little to see a new planet. Topaz kept the manager busy most of the time, at least enough to go off somewhere on deck, leaving me with Pearl. She wasn't that quiet most of the time, we actually talked about how different our roles were. She went on about having to watch Topaz deal with tantrums from quartz soldiers and traveled off planet most of the time. I asked her about the different colonies she's visited, and the different gems that were out there. "I've been to one where even if they used Lapis Lazulis to control its oceans there's still so many tidal waves destroying buildings. They had to drain the planet's water out into the cosmos! I saw it myself while assisting Topaz." Pearl told me. I laughed at her story and sighed. "You know I've barely been anywhere at all! Just from the kindergarten where I was made to the one I guarded and worked building injectors and ships. You've been everywhere, and now we're going to a brand new planet!" I told her, smiling at her. Her smile shifted into a blank expression. "That is true. We might not be able to go anywhere until it's completely finished. I wonder what kind of life it'll have on it." She said. I stood up felt curiosity rise up. "Life? Like insects?" I asked, shuddering at the days when I spend hours killing bugs. The smell still making me gag. "Sometimes, other times it's floral like flowers and fauna like reptiles, or it's just lakes of acid or plains of ice. It's all so strange thinking about it. Something different than gems, than us. Organic, not made from rock." She explained to me. "Something different. Maybe this planet could be a game changer for homeworld. Something new and better maybe. Maybe here you can be a soldier or something." I told her. She looked down at her feet and only sighed. "I doubt that. Building new colonies everything at first is strict, and once it's done the system is in place. I'll be a gem to carry stuff and be told to open doors while you build new things. I can't be anything different." She told me, a tear developing in her eye. I felt sorry for her. I took her into my arms into an embrace. "You know, you seem different to me. It actually feels like I've got a friend. Topaz felt like one, but she's only a close second." I reassured her. "A friend . . ." She mumbled. "Thank you." She told me. "Hey, who else is going to prove the elites wrong? Us or them?" I asked her, letting her go. She smiled, but she still was crying. "I hope I get to see you again some day. After we land." She quietly sobbed. I pat her shoulder. "I'm sure we will." I turned my attention to the observation bay nearby, and I saw people crowding around it. "Come on, let's see what they're seeing. No one would notice if you're with me." I told her, dragging her toward it. She quickly wiped her tears away and we stood before the view of space, also the upcoming planet. I gasped in awe as I saw it. It had one moon, land and lots of water. The land were shaped like jagged pieces that would fit together, and it was beautiful. "Pearl, look at this. This is so different!" I told her. "It seems like it." She said. An announcement started playing through the ship, making Pearl and I jump back in shock.

"Attention! We are approaching orbit of the planet, please find seats until we land. I Repeat, We are approaching orbit."

* * *

I sat absolutely still in my seat, beside me was the manager, Topaz, and Pearl, who all were just as tense as me. Everyone was silent, and no one was bothering to move or stand. I sighed and closed my eyes. I could hear the hum of the engine, it was slowing down, and I could feel it through the ship. "We're here." I spoke. I opened my eyes and I saw everyone staring at me. The upcoming announcement confirmed it.

_**"We've arrived! Rubies, Quartz, report and leave first. Technicians, Terraformers, and Kindergarteners next. The rest wait until the area has been scouted and approved."** _

I approached the exit, hands cupped together. I was walking alone, and I could feel the cool breeze hit me. I caught different smells. Something sweet, fresh, nothing like I ever experienced, and my low experience was with dirt, fluids, and insects. I walked into the sunlight, and from then on, my thought about being the best, being useful, proving the elites wrong, were blown away by the sight I saw before my eyes. Floral, with ruff armor and green, thin sheets fluttering on its tips, blades of thin green sheets were on the ground, everywhere, some had different colored petals on them. The sky was so blue, with clouds, and there were other things. Fauna, flying through the air, some small and others with feathers. I was in awe. I walked off the ship and into the thick brush, and I just stared. "Don't get overwhelmed reject." The manager ruined the moment, placing her hand on my shoulder, making me shrink. "This won't always be here. Soon it'll really look beautiful when gems finally colonize. Time to get to work!" She exclaimed, pushing me forward with her hand. "Enjoy it while you can." I heard her last remark as she walked away, walking over to a couple of different Fluorites and started ordering them around. I clenched my hands into fists, I wanted to rant, but the noises of the outside calmed me down. I just stood there, listening. 'This will be different.' I thought, I knew, I absolutely knew, something was going to be different.

* * *

My work space wasn't the greatest. It was a cave nearby the designated site for the prime kindergarten. I didn't know much about making gems, but from the looks of the place, it was a large canyon with hills and cliffs, steep and smooth. I heard that for gems to come out right and properly, the kindergarten needs to have smooth walls, nothing curved or eroding at my fingertips. It seemed a lot nicer than this slippery damp cave. It was a good thing we were only checking the injectors for any repairs from the flight here. Building in here was not an option. "Hey Fluorite! Stop gazing at that landscape and get back to work!" A Peridot reminded me. I sighed and glanced one more time outside the mouth of the cave. There were fauna prancing around, insects flying about and floral covering everything. I didn't want to look away. But, I turned my back and went back to work.

I tapped my foot as I worked, trying to focus as my eyes kept drifting toward the outside. My hands were sweating and I couldn't hold still. It was strange to feel distracted, usually I would get the job done right then and there. Have been for years, but I just couldn't. "Alright the kindergarten is ready to incubate! Activate the injectors into crawl!" An order rang out. The Peridots scrambled to get the injectors online, I did as well and watched them mobilize and begin their slow march out of the cave. I choose to follow them to the kindergarten, since other gems were too, and I shivered when the wonderful breeze hit me. It made me smile, and I kept walking further and further away. Went above the canyon and sat on the cliff's edge. I took note of the sunset, the eightieth one since landing. The colors it showed were beautiful. Orange, dark blue, pink, and the small breeze framing it perfectly between the cliffs. I curled my knees up and sighed. I wanted to know what else this world had. Other natives, the large oceans of water, all of it. "I knew you'd be up here." I turned to see Topaz, without Pearl. I almost didn't smile, but she sat down next to me and pat my back. "Wonderful ain't it?" She asked me. "There's more to it then this, right?" I asked her. "Smart. Scouting missions reported some really amazing things. There's whole communities of different species out there. All organic." She answered me. "Like the insects?" I asked her, the memory of that time resurfacing. "Smaller, and it's not just that. It's gonna be a long while before this place starts coming together. Why not sit back while you can. Take in the view." She told me. The wind brew, and I smiled. "Where's your Pearl?" I asked her as I started to feel worried about my new found friend. "Left at the bottom of the canyon to guard. She seems off lately. She's talking more." She said. She scowled. "It's kinda annoying, and amusing at the same time. She even dared to ask me if I thought this planet looked lovely. Maybe I should leave her in the terminal more often." I turned to Topaz and spoke to her face. "She's fine! It's just the excitement of finding and exploring. I can't focus because of it so it's getting to her too!" I blurted out. She seemed surprised at my outburst, and smirked. "I agree I guess. This planet's messing with me too. Well, back to work." She got up, and before she turned to leave, she told me one last thing. "Enjoy it while you can."

I sat there alone, letting the words float around in my mind. "Enjoy it while you can? How much is this place going to change?" I asked. "They have to leave at least some of it untouched, right?" My happy mood dimmed, and I sat still. A small feeling a dread came over me as I thought about what still is out there, what beautiful sights I haven't seen yet, would be replaced with towers and ships and gems. ' _I don't think I like doing this anymore.'_ I thought, as the dread took over me more and more.


End file.
